Boat hull construction



Sept 12, 1961 w. c. KAU-rz, JR 2,999,475

BOAT HULL CONSTRUCTION Filed April 8. 1960 2,999,475 BOAT HULL CONSTRUCTION Walter Conrad Kautz, Jr., 3635 SE. 69th Ave., Portland 6, Oreg.

Filed Apr. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 21,050 1 Claim. (Cl. 114-67) This invention relates to improvements in water craft, and more particularly to new and novel hull construction which will have greater buoyancy and, hence, greater load capacity and which will travel on the surface of the water with minimal friction, and as a consequence produce a smoother ride at any speed and wherein rolling and pitching of the hull in rough water is also minimized.

It is one of the principal objects of the invention to provide a hull of the character described, which comprises a buoyant forward section, a similar stern section, and a main deck and side members interconnecting said sections to provide a downwardly opening void between the sections, also a multiplicity of downwardly opening air cells within the void and means for directing air pressure to the interior of the void when the hull is afloat and the void is sealed at the water level.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a boat hull which will not ship water as heretofore, and because of said side members serving as double heels will have improved Steerage. If during a rough sea the hull should be lifted from the water, it will re-trap air in the air cells when it resumes normal otation, thus providing maximum safety and stability under all conditions, and if capsized will have the characteristics of a conventional boat hull.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter def scribed and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof and in which:

FIGURE l is a top plan view of a boat made in accordance with my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational View thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken approximately along the line 3-3 of FIGURE l, and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional end elevational view taken approximately along the line 4 4 of FIGURE 2.

With continuing reference to the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like parts, reference nu` meral 1 indicates generally a hull made in accordance with my invention and comprising a forward section in the form of a buoyant pontoon 2 and a similar stern section indicated at 3. These sections are rigidly interconnected by a main deck 4, subjacent deck 5 and side members 6 and 7 which extend below the bottom rearmost ends of the pontoons 2 and 3, and are canted inwardly as best shown in FIGURE 4. Reinforcing channel members 8 and 9 are secured to the underside of the main deck 4 and to the top side of the subjacent deck 5 and extend entirely thereacross.

Secured to and depending from the underside of the subjacent deck 5 is a honeycomb structure comprising a top wall 10, fore and after walls 11 and transverse walls 12 all intersealed to provide downwardly opening air cells 13 which are preferably inclined rearwardly, as best shown in FIGURE 3. When at rest in the water the water line will be where indicated at W.L. 1, thereby sealing the open bottom end of the air cells 13. The air trapped within the cells will increase stability of the hull. The transverse walls 12 of the cells are downwardly and rearwardly inclined to deflect water in that direction when the craft is in forward motion.

Mounted centrally upon the main deck 4 is an internal combustion engine 15, coupled through conventional power transmission means 16 to one end of a propeller nited States Patent i'icc shaft 17, whose opposite end is coupled through a vuniversal joint 17A with the driven shaft 18 ofV an outdrive 20 including a propeller 21.- Also coupled to the engine 15 at the forward end thereof through a suitable power transmission means 22 is one end of a second drive shaft 2.3, whose opposite end is coupled as at 24 to a driven shaft 25 of a blower fan, indicated generally at 26, and mounted `upon `the main deck as at 27 by a bearing block Z8 through which the blower shaft 25 is journalled. The output side of the pump 26 is in communication with one end of an air duct 30, whose opposite end terminates in an elliptical outlet 31 extending through the rear wall 33 of the forward pontoon 2, at the bottom edge thereof, and below the bottom edge of the cells 13, as best shown in FIGURES 3 and 4.

The engine l5 is provided with an exhaust pipe 35, which is extended forwardly then downwardly through the main deck 4 and subjacent deck 5 and insulated therefrom by any suitable collar 3'7 of heat insulating material. The bottom end of the exhaust pipe terminates within one of the cells, as shown.

The power transmission means of the engine is provided with any conventional type of clutch (not shown) for selectively coupling the engine with the drive shaft 17 to put the craft under way through the medium of the outdrive 20 and propeller 21.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that when the hull is afloat and at rest and the engine and pump are not operating, the buoyancy of the pontoons 2 and 3 and the air trapped within the cells 13 will establish the water line approximately where indicated at WL. l.

When the hull is under way, the air from the blower fan and the exhaust gases from the engine will be trapped within the cells and also within the void defined by the rear bulkhead of the forward section 2, the trailing bottom edge of the rearward section 3 and the side members 6 and 7. The additional buoyancy of this air cushion will re-establish the water line as indicated at W.L. 2, and, as a consequence thereof, produce a smoother and faster ride because of the elimination of friction substantially throughout the length and width of those parts of the hull in contact with the water.

It will also be apparent that if the blower fan should be intentionally or accidentally rendered inoperative, the engine exhaust gases alone will at least maintain the desired supply of air within the cells and the void for the purpose intended.

Maneuverability of the hill is facilitated by the inwardly canted lower portions of the sides 6 and 7, as shown in FIGURE 4. in executing a forward turn, for example, to the right, as viewed in FIGURE l, the canted portion of the side 7 will cause the hull to bank in the direction of the turn, because of the lifting pressure of the water against that side and the downward pulling eect of the water on the opposite side 6. For general stabilization I provide both sides 6 and 7 of the hull with sponsons 40.

While I have shown a particular form of embodiment of my invention, I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A watercraft comprising a hull, an engine carried by the hull, propeller means driven by said engine, said hull having a buoyant bow section and a spaced apart buoyant stern section, side members enclosing and interconnecting said bow and stern sections to provide a downwardly opening air chamber between said sections and forwardly of the rearward end of said bow section and rearwardly of the forward end of said stern section, a main top deck and a downwardly spaced subjacent deck interconnecting said sections and said side members, a honey-comb structure comprising downwardly opening rearwardly inclined cells depending from said subjacent deck extending full length and width thereof and terminating on a plane above the bottom edges of said side members and thereby dividing saidY chamber into an upper section and a lower section, a source of air pressure carried by the hull and driven by said engine, means for directing air pressure from said source to the interior of said lower section at the forward end thereof whereby when the hull isin forward motion it will ride on air stratum within said lower section and whereby when at rest upon the water the air trapped within said downwardly opening cells will provide normal otation and fore and aft and transverse stability for the watercraft.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Langston Sept. 12, 1911 Casey Mar. 22, 1927 Sanders Dec. 6, 1932 Rinne Oct. 22, 1940 Cristadoro June 29, 1943 Glen Dec. 12, 1944 Sheppard' Aug. 7, 1945 Williams July 8, 1958 

